Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-04-01
LOSS OF THE EAGLE.
ihE Boiler ExpIoded-Two Hundred
ana sixty Men Perish ut Sea-A Large
Sealing Steamer Blown up Near Bona.
vista Bay.
BOSTON, March 81

| BOSTON, March 81.
Dispatches from ST. John TODAY confirm
'ne report of the total loss Of the ses,ipp
steamer Eagle '''
She had on board two hundred and fiji,
men ana was lost on the shoals near Funk
Island, of Bonvista Bay. All on board per.
ished. N per
Debris consisting of deck ladders. the fore.
castle deck and cooking utensils. with The
steamers name, have been found on the ice
and the supposition is that the boiler explo.
ded. eAp'o'
ine Eagle Is owned bv Messrs Bovriny
b,os'' and was commanded BY Capt Jack,
ihah. one OF the most experienced and sue
cess1ul OF the sealing captains sailing out of
Newfoundland ports. There are also ugly
rumors atioat as to the condition of the steam
er's boilers when she sailed fbr the fisheries
It's said to be a well known fact that her
boilers were not safe, and that she should
never have been allowed to proceed to sea
with such freight of humanity. The seal
nsherles. so tar as heard from. are no better
than last year, when the catch was smaller
than Tor many years past. The two re-
ports have cast gloom over the entire col.
ony.
special to the journal from st. Johns,
n. f., says the sealing steamer Eagle was
last seen by the steamer Aurora on the night
of the llih inst. near Frink's Island. A ter
rible sea was running at the time. The next
morning the Aurora could find no trace of
the Eagle and nothing has been seen of the
ill-tated vessel since.
A message from Green Pond, about 100
miles from this place, said that Keeper Cabot
of the lighthouse had boarded the sealing
steamers Vanguard and Hector. Both of
those vessels are reported passing spars
forecastle and nameboard Eagle" near
where she was last seen. Lighthouse Keeper
Cabot is a reliable man and from his knowl-
edge OF affairs there, and the fact that the
Eagle has not been seen since the llth, while
other vessels of the fleet have been spoken
every few DAYS, it is universally believed
that the vessel, with her 26O men. was driven
on the terrible reefs so numerous inside
Funks Island. The sea broke her up and
she probably sunk Immediately with so sea-
men on deck and 2l0 seal fishers below The
sea that swept the coast that night was the
worst that was ever witnessed by the Oldest
sailors on the other vessels. No ship once
getting into those terrible breakers could pos
sibly escape.
Capt. Jackson, commander of the i'll fated
vessel, was called the bravest skipper New
foundand ever produced, and was the king
vi Tue seaAlue meet I'LL 1900, wnen Tor the
hrst time in his life he failed to secure any
seals. Last year bad luck again overlook
him and he lost the steamer Resolute near
the same fatal Fnnks Island, but all the
crew escaped. Later the same season he
took command of the Eagle, and within
few weeks she broke her shaft. She refitted
and month ago started with the rest of the
fleet on what is now felt was her last voyage
The exact number of men on board is not
known, but is believed to be at least 260
The majority of the crew were married and
were reared in this city and vicinity, and all
in the prime of life. The city is in mourn
ing today. This is the greatest calamity and
most frightful loss of lite in the modern his
tory of this unfortunate colony.